Following allegations levelled against him by a group he described as faceless over the recent massacre of forty pastoralists in Akwanaja village, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State in an air strike, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State says those linking him with the killing is a clear case of grand conspiracy to eliminate him.
Addressing a world press conference Thursday 2nd February, 2023 at the new Banquet Hall of Benue Peoples House Makurdi in reaction to a write-up signed by 52 personalities of Fulani extraction led by the deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in form of a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari which the group leveled all manner of accusations against him and the state Livestock Guards, Governor Ortom said the Livestock Guards operate within the boundaries of Benue State and are not permitted by law to bear arms. He added that their function was to help conventional security agencies in enforcing the law which protects both farmers and herders.
According to the governor, the Guards have become target of attacks by armed herdsmen with many of them being killed in cold blood even as they do not rustle cattle but rather legitimately impound cattle which are seen violating the law and taken to the quarantine unit for the period stipulated by law.
Governor Ortom lamented that the state has suffered series of attacks with unimaginable consequences from the umbrella bodies of nomadic herders upon promulgation of the law prohibiting open grazing in 2017, adding that the herders had vowed to mobilize Fulanis across the West African sub region to invade Benue State and stop implementation of the law.
He reminded the group he described as nameless led by the deposed Emir of Kano, Alh. Lamido Sanusi that he would not be held responsible for what did not take place in Benue. According to him, if the herders were not acting with sinister motives, the Defence Headquarters has already spoken on Akwanaja incident through the Director of Defence Media Operations where they said they were very professional in the conduct of the operations, intelligence driven and their code of conduct in tandem with international best practices.
He pointed out that he was the chief security officer of Benue State and not Nasarawa State.
While advising those who petitioned him to President Buhari claiming to have the interest of Nigeria at heart to stop playing politics with security matters, Governor Ortom urged those pushing for repeal of the state Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law to be reminded that they were rather wasting their time since the law has come to stay.
